Writing Attempt #6
As Alexander was growing up, his father, Philip, was developing and turning Macedonia into an important nation. He developed his army so that it was able to secure its borders, defeat its enemies, and through mining gold from its mountains, turn Macedonia into a prosperous and self sufficient country. Since Philip now had a successor to the thorne, he could let loose his own raw aspirations for power and success.
The small boy trotted after his father whenever he could, and watched him closely both in the training of his army, and of the execution of his empire. Alexander listened to everyone around him, learning to know each and every person who served at the court. They caressed him whenever he was close enough for them to touch him, and he would sit and chat with whoever it was that he encountered when he chose to do so. The court members loved the small blonde haired boy who asked questions so pertinently.
To the cook, he would inquire, "Where did you get that bird? How did you capture it? Why are you taking the feathers off? How do you do that? Show me."
And the cook would take the great bird, singe its feathers, and show Alexander how to pluck the feathers from the skin. Lymachus, the cook, would even let Alexander chop the head off at times. Alexander loved to watch the hen or cock then circle round and round until it finally dropped to the ground. "Why does it do that?" he asked. The cook responded, "The heart continues to beat even though the brain is gone. When the heart beat stops, the bird falls to the ground and stops."
Then the cook would open the bird careully, and let Alexander examine the internals. "See, there is the heart." Lymachus said, and Alexander peered to look and examine the heart. "It is small, isn't it?"
He picked it up, rolled it around in his hand, and handed it to Alexander to hold.
"Yes," answered Alexander. "Does my heart look like that?
"Well, similar to it, but your heart is much bigger than this is," answered Lymachus.
The cook then removed the heart, the liver, and the gizzards, and threw them into a stew pot where he added broth to simmer. Then he placed the whole bird on a skewer which he fitted onto a turning spit over an open fire. The bird turned slowly so that juices dripped into the fire.
"Which part of the bird do you like best?" asked Lymachus.
"All of it." answered Alexander.
When he wandered into the garden area, he would encounter the head gardener who stopped to greet the small boy. "Why, Alexander, what brings you out here today?" he asked. "What brings me this great honor?"
"Mama says that I must learn all the varieties of things that grow in the garden," he answered swiftly, kicking a piece of dirt.
"Well, my dear, come with me, and I will show you." The gardener strode off quickly as Alexander tried to follow him as fast as he could.
"Hey, slow down, I am way behind you," he forcefully called out, but the gardener simply walked ahead, headed towards the kitchen vegetable garden.
Finally, he waited for Alexander to catch up with him, and he rested for awhile, taking a small hoe, prodding the dirt around a cabbage that was growing in its patch.
"Well, Alexander,what is it that you want to learn from me. If I can help you at all, I will."
Arrhideus was a tall man, with narrow shoulders, long waist, and the biggest hands that Alexander had ever seen. He was dressed casually, wearing only a loose garment so that he could be free to dig in the ground when it was necessary.
His hands were gnarled and wrinkled, having been in the sun for so many hours daily. He picked up a turnip head, and tossed it to Alexander to hold. "This is a root vegatable. It means that it comes from the ground. Do you like or eat turnips, my boy?" he asked. "A pity if you don't," he added.
"I don't know." responded the child. "I eat vegetables whenever they are given to me. I don't know if I like this one or not. How do you prepare it?"
"You are sure a smart one, Alexander. How old are you now?" The gardener asked in return. "You talk like a grown up to me."
"I am four years old now. I am almost ready to do military training with my papa." he answered.
"Oh no, you cannot be," returned the gardener. " You have a lot of time for that. Have fun while you can now while you are still young."
"Well, Mama is making me learn basics of the court now so that I am able to perform any task she says, " said Alexander. " I will even be able to plant and grow crops if necessary. I have to learn how to be able to spot the difference between the good and the bad vegetables and fruits that grow in the countryside. Some may look pretty, or smell pretty, but many are poisonous. So I have to begin learning now which are which."
"I am so shocked at how well you speak for a four year old boy," answered the gardener. "I have not talked to you until this day."
He scratched his head in puzzlement and thought to himself that Alexander must be a child prodigy. He muttered to himself, "I did not know that the young Alexander was so advanced for his age. I should pay more attention to all the gossip that the cooks tell in the kitchen."
"When do you think that you would need to know how to recognize the difference between a good or bad fruit? A good mushroom or a poisonous one? Wouldn't you as a prince let your gardener do that for you?" he asked wonderingly.
"Oh, when I go out on the field and am in the forests, I will need to know this. It is to survive without court members there to help me. So I must learn it now so that I won't forget it." Alexander answered.
"Well, then, by all means, let me teach you. Come with me," and Arrhideus reached down to take Alexander's hand as he led him through the gardens, showing him every fruit and vegetable that grew there.
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